Apparatus for forming and cooling leaf springs and the like



April 28, 1925. v 1,535,454

A. P. CRELL APPARATUS F OR FORMING AND COOIQING LEAF SPRINGS AND THE LIKE Filed April 24. 1919 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aprfl 2a, 1925. 1,535,454

A. P. CRELL APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND 000mm LEAF SPRINGS AND THE LIKE Filed April 2 1i 1919" 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 'fi c+- 2p 0 3'7 H H II [I I] 1| 1| H rl'ff II ll II II- ll II I I 19 .12 f F '9 2, 13- 2 j oaooda d30 20 Q .16 21. .1

-J lg c-h Patented Apr. 28,

uNrrEo sra'rus PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT 1. GRELL, Oi? GRAND RAPIDS, MZCHIG'AN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO I "WILLIAM $MALLEY BANIELS, 9F GRAN?) {Rf- 3311333, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS AND GQGLING' LEA SPR'INGSASD THE LIKE.

Application filed April as, rare Serial No. 292,370.

To all whom it a nay concern: 7

Be it known that L: ALBERT P. CnnLL a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of latent and State of lvlichigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Forming and Cooling Leaf Springs and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to appa atus' for forming and cooling leaf springs and the like; and its object is, generally to provide such an apparatus whereby the work will be cooled Withoutfdanger of warping or deforming the same; and more particularly, to provide a continuous flexible conveyor having a circuitous travel in the cooling liquid andca-rrying co-operating interrelatively-movable "clamp members adapted to clamp the work between them; a further object is to'provide meansfor automatically moving such members into and out of their clamping position; a further object is to provide clamping members having means for admitting the cooling liquid into contact with the work clamped thereby; afurther object is to provide suchinterrelativelymovable clamp members, one of which may be independently adjusted to desired fixed positions.

These and any other objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the strum tureshereinafter particularly described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in \vhichiz Figure 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus for forming and cooling leaf springs and the like; i i

Figure 2 a sectional view of the same taken on vertical planes-cor 'esponding to line A i L of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan View of one of the clamping devices; i

Figure 41: is a transverse sectional. view of the same taken on a plane corresponding to line 8 B of Figure 3; V

Figure 5 is a like view of said device taken on a plane corresponding to line CG of Figure 1 Figure 6 is a sectional view of a portion of said device taken on a plane correspond ing to line DD of Figure 3;

F igure 7 is a fragmentary top plan View of portions-of the clamping device; and

Figuresfi and 9 show respectively pairs of work-engaging parts adapted to be insorted into the clamping device.

Inthe embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration by the drawings and for detailed description in the body of this specification, a vessel or tank 1 is adapted to contain a cooling liquidoilto approximately the level indicated by the line E-E of Figure 2. A continuous flexible conveyor having a circuitous travel in the vessel and through the oil therein contained is shown in the form of a pair of continuous chains 2, 2, carried by the pairs of sprocket wheels, 8,4, one pair, as 3, being driven by the pulley 5 on the shaft 6 of said pair of wheels. This conveyor carries clampingde- 1 vices 7, 8, 9, 10, in spaced apart relatiomten of such devices being shown in Figure 2, i

and each comprising a body portion 11 secured to the links of the chains andv a pair of co-operating mterrelatively-movable clamp members 12, 13, the former, 12, being movable and the latter, 13, being iudependently adjustable on the body portion and relatively to the member 12 by the screws 14 todesired fixed positions.

These pairs of clamp members are thus interrelatively-movable' automatically to form-and clamp the work-as a leaf spring 15-betweeu them and to release the work from such clamping, by the following mechanism: The body portion 11 carries an arm 16 in keyed relation to the rock shaft 17 mounted in bearings 18. This rock-shalt also carries in keyed relation thereto one member or arm 19 of a pair of toggles the other member 20 being pivotally connected at 21 to the clamp member 112. In Figure 2 the arms 16 and toggle members are shown only in the upper three clamping devices 7, 8, 9 but it will be understood that all the ten clamping devices are of identical construction.

A slot guide 22, mounted in the upper part of the vessel inside, guides the free ends of the arms 16 (which may be provided with anti-friction rolls as shown) so as to swing them into and out of that position which causes the clamp members to clamp the work.

as the conveyor travels in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, the clamping device 9, emerging from the oil enters the field of the guides operation: The under side 23 of the guide here engages the arm 16 (or rather its anti-friction roll) and swings the arm upwardly, into the position shown by the like arms of the clamping devices 7 and 8, whereby the toggle is moved to draw the clamp member 12 away from the fixed co-operating clamp member 13, and release the work. When the clamp members are thus released the cooled leaf spring may be withdrawn, and another hot leaf spring inserted between the clamp members. Inasmuch as two clamping devices are open at one time, as shown in Figure 2, one operator may remove the cooled leaf spring from one clamping device while another operator inserts a hot leaf spring into the other. As the conveyor continues its circuitous travel, the upper side 24 of the guide 22 engages the free end of the arm 16 (or rather the anti-friction roll), of the clamping device in the position of 7 and swings the arm 16 downwardly thus causing the clamp memhers to clamp the hot work which has just been inserted between them.

During the engagement of the arms 16 with the guide 22, the ends of the body portions 11 ot the clamping devices travel in guide slots 25 at the sides of the vessel inside, whereby the clamping devices are held. against movement under the action of the guide 22 operating on the arms 16.

i To hold the clamp members in clamping engagement with the work, springs 26 carried by the body portions 11 oil the clamp ing devices may be provided and so positioned as to engage and hold down the free ends of the arms 16 (or their anti-friction rolls), as shown in Figure 5, but adapted to be sprung back to release the arms when they are swung upwardly by the guide 22.

It is very desirable that the work be held in the clamping devices with sutl'icient rigidity to prevent its warping or being deformed in the cooling process. and at the same time in such manner that the oil may contact with the work as completely as possible. To effect this end, I provide in the body portion 11 of the clamping devices (along which portion as a bed the clamp member 12 slides) grooves 27 extending in the direction of the interrelative movement of the clamp members; I also provide raised portions 28 adjacent the outer edges of the clamp members and adapted to clampingly engage the work, the recessed portion 29 between such raised portions admitting oil into contact with the work; I also provide openings 30 through the clamp members whereby the oil may pass to the work.

The clamp members may each comprise an outer body part 31 and a work-engaging removable inner part 32 as shown, the body part and the inner work-engaging part being detachably connected as by the lugs 33 on one part engaging in the sockets 3t formed in the other part. By this arrangement diti erent pairs of such inner parts n'iay be inserted into a single pair of outer body parts, one pair of inner parts having its work-engaging surfaces adapted to fit one kind of work and another pair to tit another kind of work, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9; the inner work-engaging parts shown in Figure 9 being fitted for work shaped in the arc of a circle, while the like parts shown in Figure 8 are fitted for work raving reverse curves at its end.

The oil may be cooled by any suitable device, as the water jacket 36 surrounding the vessel or tank 1, or by the cooling coils 37 shown in Figure 2. Stutling boxes 38 or closed oil containers 39 should be provided to prevent leakage from the vessel through the bearing in which the shaft 6 turns. Some of the clamping devices carried by the conveyor may have clamping members of one term and adapted to work of one shape while others may be provided with clamp members adapted to work of another shape: thus the clamp members in the clamping device 9 are adapted to short leaves of a vehicle spring while those of the clamping devices 7 and S are adapted to the longer leaves o't such a spring. It will be seen that every circuit ot the conveyor ma thus be made to cool all the variously shaped leaves which term a single vehicle spring comprising many differently shaped leaves. I

A. clutch 40 is operated to stop the conveyor to insert and remove the work fromthe clamping devices.

It will be seen that the conveyor in its circuit (in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 2) carries the various pieces of work held in the several clamping devices slowly through the cooling oil, the conveyor being stopped at intervals for the removal and insertion of the work pieces; and that a number of such work pieces are submerged in the o l at onetime and are thereby being cooled, although new pieces are being constantly and quickly inserted into the apparatus all the while.

In prior methods whereby such work as the leaves of a vehicle spring have beenv cooled in oil. they have been warped or deformed by the process, not being properly held in a clamp during the cooling operation, and the oil not sufficiently contacting with the work. The result has been that such work must be reformed or the leaves fitted to each other after being cooled. My apparatus obviates this difliculty inasmuch as by it the leaves are held or clamped against warping or deforming While being cooled, and yet the oil is adinittedinto contact with them.

It will be seen also that inasmuch as chains of common form used on sprocket wheels have links which may be detachably connected together, the chains of my apparatus may be lengthened by inserting more links carrying the clamping devices and may be shortened by removing such links and devices, thus providing more or fewer clamping devices in the same installation of my apparatus as may be desired.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to orby details of construction shown'or described.

I claim:

1. In a structure of the character de scribed; a vessel adapted to contain a cooling liquid; a conveyor movable in thevessel and carrying co-operating interrelativelymovable clamp members adapted to clamp the work between them; an arm swingably arried by the conveyor land adapted to interrelativelymove said members into and out of clamping position; a guide for-the arm mounted extraneously of the conveyor and adapted to swing the arm to interrelatively move said members as aforesaid.

2.111 a structure of the character described; a vessel adapted to contain a cooling liquid; a conveyor movable in the vessel and carrying co-operating interrelativelymovable clamp members adapted to clamp the work between them; an arm swingably carried by the conveyor; a toggle operable by tl'ie swinging of the arm to inter-relatively move said members into and out of clamping position; a guide for the arm mounted cxtra neously of the conveyor and adapted to swing the arm to operate the toggle as aforesaid. r V

3. In a structure of the character described; a vessel adapted to contain a cooling liquid; a continuous flexible conveyor; a driven. rotatable element carrying the conveyor; a plurality of co-operating interrelativcly-movable pairs of clamp members carried in spaced relation by the conveyor, each pair being adapted to clamp the work between them; arms swingably carried by the V conveyor and adapted to interrelatlvely spaced relation by the conveyor each pair being adapted to clamp the work between them; arms swingably carried by the conveyor; togglesoperable by the swinging ot' the arms to interrelatively move the pairs or said members respectively into and out of clamping position; spring elements adapted to releasably hold the arms respectively in the clamping position of said members; a guide for the arms mounted extrancously of the conveyor and adapted to swing the arms to operate the toggles as aforesaid.

5. In a structure of the character de scribed; a vessel adapted to contain a cooling liquid; a continuous flexible conveyor; a driven rotatable element carrying the conveyor; a plurality of co-operating interrelatively-movable pairs of clamp members carried in spaced relation by the conveyor, each pair being adapted to clamp the work between them; arms swingably carried by the conveyor and adapted to interrelativel move the respective pairs of said members into and out of clamping position; a guide for the arms mounted extraneously of the conveyor and adapted to swing the arms to .iuterrelatively move said members as aforesaid; a guide for a portion of the travel oi,

the conveyor mounted extraneously there of and adjacent said guide for the arms.

6. In a structure of the character described; a vessel adapted to contain a cooling liquid; a continuous chain having a circuitous travel in the vessel and having detachable links; a plurality of co-operating interrelatively-movable-pairs of clamp members carried by the links, each pair being adapted to clamp a workpiece between them.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids ll lichigan this 22nd day of April 1919.

ALBERT P. ORELL. 

